Catnip and Alcohol
by Wolfjet
Summary: When a magical spell backfires, Misto is forced into taking some of Jenny's potent medicine. In his resultant attempts to cure himself of his intoxication, Skimble somehow gets involved, and old emotions resurface. Very random threeshot!  Contains slash.
1. Drunken Magician

_Author's Note: This was originally going to be a one-shot, but it got more complicated than I expected, so I split it into multiple parts. It is a sequel of sorts to "These Dreams", which you don't really have to read to understand this, although it might be better if you did._

_And this time I _will_ warn you: This story contains both heterosexual and homosexual relationships. (The summary probably gives you a hint.) Also, as always, any suggestions and/or other constructive criticisms would be _greatly_ appreciated. All right, I'll stop rambling now, on to the story! Hope you enjoy, and thanks for reading!_

* * *

"Open wide, Mistoffelees. I don't see why you're afraid of a little medicine..."

The cat in question was currently lying on Jennyanydots' bed and resisting with all his might as she tried to give him something to cure his ailments. "Jenny," he began patiently, but with an uptight air, "you are trying to force a mixture of catnip and alcohol down my throat. I will not take well to it. I do not like it."

"Well, do you want to soothe your aching limbs or not?" Jennyanydots said, with equal patience, as she gently touched the spoon to the tom's closed lips. "This will help the pain."

"There is _no pain!_" Mistoffelees said quickly, and suddenly howled as he sat up in the bed and his back protested by shooting a large surge of pain through his entire body. "R-r-r-really," he chattered through the hurt, clutching his left arm, which had flared up a bit more than his right.

"I'll believe _that_ after you take your medicine," said Jenny, setting the spoon down and putting her hands on her hips. "That spell really hurt you, didn't it?"

"What are you talking about? I'm completely unharmed," said Mistoffelees, trying to smile, though he couldn't quite manage it. "Jenny, really. If I get alcohol in my system, then my magic will go out of control. I can barely manage it as it is; if I get ... drugged ... then I might as well kiss my self-restraint goodbye."

"It seems that self-restraint wasn't something you had much of to begin with," remarked Jenny, as she habitually stirred the mixture in the medicine cup. "I've treated magical cats before, Misto. Tantomile and Coricopat had to come by here occasionally, you know. And while they're certainly not as gifted in magic as you are, they did teach me a thing or two about dealing with backfired spells."

Mistoffelees felt his white face go slightly pink. "It - it was nothing," he said automatically, wincing as his aching limbs argued violently with his words. "All I was trying to do was fix the front gate," he said, feeling a need to explain. "The thunderstorm last week had destroyed it, and I got about halfway before — well —" he shifted uncomfortably. "I tried to use a bit of metal to patch it up, and it reflected the spell onto me." He paused, remembering the agony of the magic, before he had managed to control it. "I must remember to use a different type of magic for reflective surfaces."

"If you don't take your much needed medicine _now_," said Jenny firmly, as she again picked it up, "then I can guarantee that you won't be doing magic for quite a long time."

Mistoffelees paled. Jenny had found his weakness — he couldn't imagine surviving without magic. It wasn't that he liked to show off; quite the opposite, in fact. It was just that magic had become such an integral part of his life that to have to go without using it, even for a finite period of time, was now unthinkable. If he needed medicine to continue improving his skill in being The Original Conjuring Cat, then so be it.

"All right," the small tom said resignedly, leaning back on the bed. "But make it quick."

* * *

"So many pretty colors," Mistoffelees murmured, sitting on top of the tire in the junkyard. It was late afternoon, so many Jellicles were congregated in the area, but no one had yet joined the tom, which was fine by him. He preferred to wait out the medicine lull alone.

Currently the small black cat had his arms stretched out in front of him, holding his paws in front of his face. He traced the lines of his claws and fur, seeing many pinks and blues and greens slithering out of the strands. "Pretty colors," he murmured again, as his hands begin to shake. "I watch the box with moving pictures."

Misto groaned and laid on his back. _How much medicine did Jenny give me?_ his rational mind asked before his irrational mind took over again. "I like cheese," Mistoffelees muttered, looking up into the darkening sky, as sunset neared. "Cheese is a human food. I do not like cheese. I like pickles. Wait. Pickles are human food too..."

At this Misto sat up and pointed a paw in the air, declaring triumphantly, "I like _chicken!_"

Fortunately, no other cats heard him, else he would have been the subject of much pointing and giggling, especially from his sister Victoria. This isolation hit Mistoffelees hard, however, and he laid back down, dejected. "Why was no one else around to hear my glorious revelation?" he asked nobody in particular, eyes lolling about in his head. "I have discovered the Ultimate Answer to Life, the Universe and Everything and it's 42. Pity I don't know what the Question to the Answer is. Purple elephants wearing hats are flying above me."

_I'm not well_, said his rational mind to himself, taking over again. It was like there were two separate cats in his mind that were fighting for control of his body — another effect of the drug. _Why don't I use magic to sober up?_ suggested his rational side, before once again succumbing to the irrational. _Fuchsia is a nice color. But it sounds like a sneeze._

Yet Mistoffelees had to admit to himself that his rational side had a point. If he could gain control of his magic, then he would be able to bring himself down from this sickening high. _But I like being high!_ shouted his irrational side. _So many observations to make! Tiny spiders are chewing on my brain._

_No!_ shouted his rational side, and Mistoffelees clutched his paws to his head. _Cure yourself, Mistoffelees, use magic to get away from this! Being hung over invariably leads to disaster, look at Gus..._

At this Mistoffelees' mind brought up a past occurrence: an image of Gus downing his fourth liquor shot before going onstage, resulting in his falling off said stage and crashing into the orchestra conductors' stand, leading to the entire orchestras' stands falling over like dominoes, which then hit the first flute and forced it into the third trumpet, which toppled into the first tuba, which jammed onto the piano players' head, who then banged the conductor on the cranium with said tuba, and sent him to the hospital with a concussion.

_Wait a minute_, said Mistoffelees' rational side again. _I never actually saw that. That never happened._

_Imagination is more important than knowledge_, said his irrational side in a singsong voice.

_That settles it!_ screamed the tom's rational mind in response, and he felt himself standing. _I'm casting a spell to sober myself up and no irrationality is going to stop me!_

_You need counseling_, said his irrational side thoughtfully.

Mistoffelees brought his paws over his head, and a stream of words in a language known only to ancient magical cats flowed from his lips. A ball of energy slowly began to take form in the midst of his paws, a light that gradually grew from a soft pink to a blinding white. Mistoffelees let the chant continue, the glowing sphere growing bigger and bigger by the second. When it was big enough he would be able to submerge his body in it (_Hey, I bet it'll feel like a cold shower!_ chirped his irrational side) and the intoxicating effects of Jenny's medicine would finally wear off. The magical cat felt the flow of words nearing its end. Closer ... closer ... almost there...

_GUMMI BEARS!_ shrieked his irrational mind suddenly. _GUMMI BEARS ARE CLIMBING THE TIRE SO THEY CAN EAT MY ORGANS AND CHEW MY EYEBALLS FOR DESSERT!_

Mistoffelees yelled and fell backward instinctively. The spell shot from his hands and across the junkyard, but Mistoffelees missed the rest because he suddenly found himself in mid-flight, having fallen off the tire. Fortunately, the alcohol hadn't managed to affect his reflexes too greatly, and he twisted his body in midair, landing on his feet. _Just as every cat should_, thought his rational mind triumphantly.

Then Misto paled. _What have I done?_ he thought, racing toward where he had seen the spell shoot away (he was still quite unsteady on his paws, however). _I lost control! It could have hit someone, or damaged something, or —_

Mistoffelees rounded a corner and stopped. In front of him, still smoldering, was the gate that he had recently tried to patch. The spell had blown a large, circular hole in a repaired section of the fence, and the wood was still slightly on fire.

_Oh, great_, moaned Mistoffelees, _More repairs to do._

He was about to pad over to the area and blow out the fire as he would a match, but a small gasp alerted him that he was not alone. Turning to the side slightly, the magician eyes widened as he saw, half-submerged in a pile of wreckage —

"Skimbleshanks!" Misto cried, and suddenly had to fight back an overwhelming surge of emotion, the meaning of which he was unsure. Instead he ran over to the orange tabby and quickly pulled him out of the pile. "What happened? Are you all right?"

"I'm — fine," the tom said shakily, dusting off his vest. "Just a little — jarred. That spell — it barely missed me."

Mistoffelees felt an enormous guilt wash over him — something that could be felt even in his intoxicated state. "Skimble, I'm — I'm so sorry," he mumbled, bowing his head shamefully. "I didn't mean to —"

"Hey, it's okay," the Railway Cat said with a friendly smile, putting a paw on the magician's shoulder. Mistoffelees looked up, noticeably shaking. "It was an accident," Skimble reasoned, looking into the younger tom's eyes. "Everyone's all right. And I'm sure that spell wouldn't have killed me."

"Um, no, just — made you feel like — like you had just been hit by a jet of cold water," said Mistoffelees shamefacedly.

Skimble had to laugh. "Glad I missed that, then." The Railway Cat was still staring into Mistoffelees' eyes, noticing something unusual about them. "Mistoffelees, your pupils are dilated. Why are you —"

Suddenly Misto leapt backward, looking wildly above the two of them. "GIANT RAPTORS FROM PLUTO!" he shouted, pointing upward (Skimble looked and saw nothing), before suddenly collapsing onto the ground, beginning to snore gently.

Skimbleshanks stared at him, noting his sudden mood change and slurred speech, and something clicked in his mind.

"Oh, no," he muttered, crouching down next to the magician. "My Jenny gave you some of her medicine, didn't she?"


	2. Revelations

_A/N: Just a quick note to warn you all that this chapter isn't nearly as ... comedic ... as the last one. I didn't plan it that way; it just sort of happened. (You do get some Misto ramblings in the beginning, though, never fear!) Also, this chapter is really where the links to "These Dreams" (this story's prequel) come in, just so you know. Onward!_

* * *

Mistoffelees's head spun.

_The raptors from Pluto are mad because according to the humans, their Pluto isn't a planet anymore. Funny. I always thought it was a fictional dog anyway —_

_I am in a bed. It is not my bed. It is Jennyanydots' bed._

_Yes, but to return, the raptors have decided to abandon their conquering of the Earth for the time being. They decided on Mercury instead —_

_Jennyanydots did not put me in this bed. I am waking up. I will be able to find out who put me in this very comfortable bed._

_Shut up, you. Back to what I was thinking, the raptors picked Mercury because it sounds like a precious metal to them. Mercury is the only liquid metal in existence. Hah, that's what they all say. But I have proof of another, _different_ liquid metal, and I shall call it Mistorium —_

_WAKE UP!_

Mistoffelees's eyes shot open, and the argument between his rationality and irrationality faded away. But only slightly, as he was still somewhat drugged. He groaned as he raised his head. "Where am I?" he said feebly. "The last thing I remember is — is the raptors —"

"Sssh, lie down," said a soothing voice, and a comforting form loomed over him in the semidarkness. As Misto's eyes began to adjust, he realized that it was Skimbleshanks. The Railway Cat gently pushed him onto his back again and leaned forward, whispering in his ear. "The medicine wears off faster when you stay still. Trust me, I should know."

Mistoffelees' head swam again, but he obeyed Skimble and closed his eyes once more, breathing deeply. "How did I get here?" he asked quietly.

"Simple," said Skimbleshanks, and Mistoffelees heard him sit down beside the bed. "I carried you."

Mistoffelees felt his face warm. "You mean, like — like a kit?" he asked, embarrassed.

"Well, not exactly," said Skimble quietly, "as kittens are generally more fussy."

_I wish I'd been awake to experience that_, thought Mistoffelees — whether from his rational or irrational side, he couldn't tell. He could picture Skimble carrying his sleeping form, could feel the tom's soft chest fur against his cheek, could hear the Railway Cat's quiet, gentle breathing —

Misto squeezed his eyes shut tighter. _It's the drug_, he repeated to himself, _it's the drug it's the drug it's the drug. I only feel this way because I'm ... intoxicated. _

_Nonsense,_ replied his other side. _Remember recalling how fortunate it was that you stumbled onto Skimble after that spell? Remember watching him whenever he gathered the kittens, unable to keep your eyes off of him? Remember how the mating dance between him and Jennyanydots affected you? Remember trying to push away your emotions for all these years?_

Mistoffelees felt tears leaking between his eyelids. _I thought I'd buried those feelings_, his other mind responded quietly. _I thought I'd moved beyond that. I thought ... I thought I'd forgotten._

_You can never forget that which you always want to remember_, reasoned his other side.

This was driving Mistoffelees crazy. Too fast, everything was moving too fast. And he couldn't tell which side of his arguments was the irrational, or which was the rational. Oh, how he hoped the one that wanted Skimble was the irrational.

_Don't be ridiculous. _All_ of you wants Skimbleshanks. Remember brushing his lips with your own, as he slept, that fateful night? It was just the two of you, alone in the junkyard. Don't you remember your feelings?_

"Mistoffelees?" Skimbleshanks said with concern, standing and moving closer to the bed. The magician, whose back was to the Railway Cat, had started to shake as silent sobs racked his body. Skimble slowly kneeled beside Mistoffelees and put a comforting paw on his shoulder. "What's wrong?" the Railway Cat asked. "Is it the medicine again?"

"Oh, how I wish it was," Mistoffelees murmured, voice broken with sorrow.

"What is it? Please tell me," Skimble whispered, drawing closer. "I don't like to see you suffer."

This fact reached down into the very depths of Mistoffelees' soul and warmed him, though he caught himself and realized with a heavy heart that it didn't mean what he wanted it to. "I'm just s-so —" his breath caught and he fought back another stream of tears, "—so _ashamed._"

"Of what?" said Skimble, drawing the magician closer. Reluctantly, Mistoffelees turned over in bed to face him. "Is it about the fence?" Skimble suggested quietly. "You needn't worry, Munkustrap put the fire out and he and Mungojerrie are patching the rest of it up now — they were quite understanding about your ... condition —"

"No, it's not the fence," said Mistoffelees softly, his eyes unblinking and glistening as they gazed into Skimble's. The orange tom shifted a bit, but didn't look away.

"Then what?" he asked finally, voice a whisper.

Mistoffelees didn't answer right away. He simply continued to stare up into Skimbleshanks' eyes, admiring their beautiful green color, and the sparkle that never seemed to leave them. He'd always liked Skimble's eyes — they were eternally bright, and filled with a caring for others. Skimble blinked, but continued to hold the gaze. If he was unnerved, he didn't show it.

"Forgive me," whispered Mistoffelees, as, unable to resist, he wrapped an arm around Skimble's shoulders. Before the Railway Cat could register what was happening, Mistoffelees had brought his face close to Skimbleshanks', and the two of them again stared at each other. Then Mistoffelees' eyes closed and he leaned forward.

_Much too close for comfort,_ reflected Skimbleshanks, before realizing that his lips had met those of Mistoffelees.

* * *

"Nonsense, Jelly, why would you think that?"

Jellylorum rolled her eyes as she continued her knitting, pausing only briefly to cuff her youngest, Pouncival, gently on the head for trying to play with the ball of yarn. Pouncival flattened his ears, but then shrugged and ran off to play with Tumblebrutus, leaving his mother and Jennyanydots alone.

"I'm just _saying_," Jelly said, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, as it always did when the two queens shared gossip, "that there have been hints. Not large ones, mind you, but very subtle. You notice he's perfectly free and chatty with the queens but tends to get tongue-tied around the toms? Especially those his age."

"He's shy," Jennyanydots said reasonably, straightening up the den. There were many forks, knives and other utensils left over from the cockroaches' latest lesson, and she was attempting to restore some order. Next lesson she would teach them how to clean up after themselves, she decided, before continuing, "It's only natural for a cat of his age to feel more comfortable around queens than toms. If you ask me, he hasn't quite matured to the point of wanting to court queens just yet. Almost, but not quite."

"So how does that explain his silence — _perpetual_ silence, I might add — around his male friends?" Jelly prodded, raising her eyebrows at Jenny.

"It's the — oh, how do they phrase it nowadays?" Jenny said, scratching her head. "Ah yes, the _coolness_ factor. He wants to impress them, but is afraid of any embarrassment he may cause himself. I suppose the only way he knows how to deal with it is to not do, or say, anything at all."

"That strategy's not going to work for much longer," said Jelly conversationally, holding up her finished scarf to inspect it for errors. "Everyone knows of how he brought Old Deuteronomy back, even if it was ages ago. Deuteronomy himself commends Mistoffelees very highly for it."

"Jelly dear, it was not _ages_ ago. You're beginning to lose track of time, methinks."

"You try keeping track of time when you're raising a rebellious teenaged tom," Jelly countered, now folding the scarf to save it for Asparagus. "See how well you do."

Jenny's eyes softened. "I would if I could, Jelly," she murmured, "but it seems that Skimble is still not ready for kits just yet."

Jellylorum looked up at her friend. "Oh, Jenny," she said quietly, standing and putting an arm around the Gumbie Cat's shoulder. "He will be ready eventually," she said reassuringly. "The _important_ thing is — is to not rush it."

Jennyanydots smiled reluctantly. "I know — it's just — hard sometimes." She cast one last look around the den, deeming it at last satisfactory. "Thank you for letting me instruct the cockroaches here today, Jelly," she said to her friend as she started to leave. "It seems Skimble needed our den for something."

"No problem at all," Jelly smiled, and resumed a new knitting task. "Good luck!" she called, raising a paw in farewell.

Jenny smiled as she strode across the junkyard, enjoying the pleasant warmth of the day and the cool afternoon breeze. A talk with Skimbleshanks, that's what was needed, she decided as she made for their den. Perhaps this time she would be able to convince him. She would be careful not to rush it, as Jelly said, but all the same, Jenny knew Skimble was weakening — perhaps just one last conversation would be all it took to make him ready. Jenny's heart filled with renewed hope as she pushed open the door to their den.

The flare of hope died away.

* * *

_I should not be enjoying this_, reflected Skimble in a stunned stupor as Mistoffelees' arms wrapped around him (and, quite suddenly, Skimble felt his arms wrap around the magician, albeit involuntarily). _I should not be enjoying this at all._

_But ... I am._

Skimble could feel a slight dampness on his face and he knew Mistoffelees was weeping, undoubtedly over guilt. The Railway Cat couldn't imagine how the young tom must feel, being so ashamed of his actions yet unable to resist all the same. A part of Skimble was concerned for the magician's sake. Another was concerned for the implications of it all — especially the fact that neither one of them seemed to be able to turn away.

And still another part of Skimble was glad that Mistoffelees had been unable to resist this.

Mistoffelees broke the kiss quite suddenly, gasping with shock. "Skimble, I'm — I'm sorry," he said in a rush, "I — I don't know what made me —" His ears had flattened in shame as he lowered his head. Self-control had finally won out ... so why did it feel like a hollow victory? "I'm sorry," he whispered again.

The Railway Cat blinked, then cupped a paw under the magician's chin so that, reluctantly, Mistoffelees looked up into his eyes. "You," he said, with a reassuring smile, "should never be ashamed of your feelings."

Mistoffelees stared up at Skimble and found himself slowly smiling as well ... but then his face turned even paler and his eyes widened. "Oh, Bast," he gasped, looking beyond Skimbleshanks.

The Railway Cat whirled around. Standing at the entrance to the den was Jennyanydots, paws on her hips. Her eyes were murderous, yet the look on her face was unreadable. She looked at Skimbleshanks, then at Mistoffelees, both of whom were too stunned to react. She then looked back at Skimble and fixed him with a soul-piercing glare.

"I suppose I brought this on myself," she said, voice cold as ice, before turning and storming out of the den.


	3. Problems

_A/N: Hoo boy! Had to struggle through a nasty bout of writer's block to finish, but here it is: Part three, the conclusion! Sorry it took so long. Again, hope you like it, and thank you to everyone who has reviewed (and everyone who will)! You are all stars. ((Passes out cookies))_

* * *

"You were right, Jelly." 

Several hours and a couple hundred wads of tissues later, Jennyanydots lay curled up back in Jellylorum's den, her eyes red and her face a blank mask. Jellylorum, meanwhile, was cleaning up the tissues scattered about everywhere as she did her best to console her friend. Her ears twitched as she heard Jenny speak for the first time since she had run, sobbing, into Jellylorum's den, and fallen into the queen's arms, too emotional to speak ... "Pardon?" Jelly asked, somewhat puzzled by Jenny's statement.

"You were right," Jennyanydots repeated, as she sat up and took one more tissue to blow her nose with, "about Mistoffelees."

Jellylorum's eyes lit up in understanding and she set her little garbage pail aside. "Oh, you mean how he's —"

"He has a liking for toms. Yes," said Jenny as she finished blowing her nose. "I really should have seen it coming, why did I make excuses for him? He's not _that_ young, he's certainly matured enough to want to court some handsome male —"

"Oh, come now," Jelly reasoned, for she still didn't know the cause of Jenny's emotion. "Perhaps I was wrong. Perhaps he just hasn't started falling for queens yet, like you said."

"Then explain to me why I just walked into Skimble's den and found him in a passionate embrace with Mistoffelees?" said Jennyanydots, voice a deadly whisper.

Jellylorum opened her mouth. She closed it again. Several moments of tense, uncomfortable silence stretched on, before Jelly at last found some words. "Well," she said awkwardly, "I guess that answers that."

"He's in love with Skimbleshanks," Jennyanydots whispered as she stared straight ahead; she seemed not to have heard Jellylorum. "It's my own fault, I gave him the catnip. Misto was drugged. He let his true emotions loose, he let them run away with him —"

"Jenny," said Jellylorum sternly, "if you try to blame yourself for this —"

"And," Jennyanydots continued resolutely, obviously not paying attention now, "from what I saw, Skimble wasn't doing anything to resist his advances. He ... he was _enjoying_ it, Jelly." Jenny paused, then lowered her head, and whispered, "Skimble ... was loving Mistoffelees _back_."

Jellylorum blinked, then walked over to the bed and sat down beside Jennyanydots, putting a paw on her shoulder. Slowly, reluctantly, Jenny turned to face her.

"So I guess the only question left," Jelly said steadily, "is, are _you_ still in love with _Skimble?_"

* * *

Outside in the junkyard, night had fallen and another storm had rolled in. Rain poured down by the bucketload as lightning flashed and thunder rumbled into the distance. The 'yard was deserted, abandoned as the Jellicles took to the safety and comfort of their dens. One of these dens, though certainly safe, had a distinctly uncomfortable atmosphere about it as, leaning against the doorway, Skimbleshanks watched the rain outside fall. His arms were crossed against his chest and, like Jenny, his face was blank. His bright green eyes stared straight ahead, seeing nothing; the tom's only movement was the steady rise and fall of his chest as he slowly breathed in the misty air. 

The Railway Cat presently felt a light, hesitant paw on his shoulder, and though he acknowledged it with a slight nod of his head, he did not avert his eyes. His breath made a slight cloud upon the chilly air, and he drew his arms closer; Mistoffelees' paw, still hesitant, rubbed the orange, striped shoulders, warming them slightly. It was this action that finally made Skimble turn to face the magician, though his eyes remained glazed.

"Skimble," Mistoffelees whispered, and the Railway Cat blinked. The magician in front of him looked — and felt — for all the world as if his heart had literally been cleaved in two. "Skimbleshanks," he said again, voice shaky, "I'm ... I'm sorry."

Skimble did not respond; his eyes kept their glazed look, and the pain in Mistoffelees' chest pressed down upon him. He had never wanted this, never wanted to put Skimble in such a position, and the knowledge of what he had done, his guilt over his actions, weighed upon him with an unbearable heaviness.

"Skimbleshanks —" Misto repeated, trying to draw some sort of reaction from the cat. He wished Skimble would yell, would hurl insults at him, would shout at him — anything was better than this silence. It would have been better if Skimble had hit him.

But instead the Railway Cat turned away from the magician, leaning against the side of the doorway once more, looking out to the junkyard. Mistoffelees dropped his paw from Skimble's shoulder but continued his thought, ignoring the shaking in his voice. "— Skimble, I ... I want to help you. I want to fix this." Though Skimble wasn't focused on him, Misto lowered his head in shame, and echoed the orange tom's own words from earlier. "I don't want to see you suffer."

"It's not something you can control, Mistoffelees."

The tom's words had seemingly come from nowhere, his voice was hoarse and quiet, and still he focused on the rain, not looking at Misto as he spoke. Yet his tone was sincere, with feeling behind it, as he whispered, "Loving someone should not be an embarrassment."

Mistoffelees blinked, at first unsure of how to respond. "But — but what _should_ be, and _is_, an embarrassment, would be to —" his tone was growing firmer, he was determined to admit his fallacies, perhaps the guilt would ease somewhat if he did, "— to let those emotions get in the way of ... of a friendship with someone. To let them ... be the _end_ of a friendship."

Skimble did not respond for a moment, but then turned his focus to Mistoffelees for the first time, and placed a paw on his shoulder, as the magician had done with him. "You are still my friend, Mistoffelees," he said quietly, reassuringly. "I don't pretend to appreciate what you've done, but I do believe that ... that you're being a bit hard on yourself."

Mistoffelees' eyes were shiny as he looked up at the Railway Cat. He was determined not to cry, he had done it too often to do it again, he had to stay strong if he wanted to fix this, to redeem himself. "Skimble, please — please let me try to help things get back to the way they were."

"We can get close," said Skimble steadily, "but things will never quite be the same."

"I don't mean between you and me," said Mistoffelees, placing his own paw over Skimble's, which was still on his shoulder. "I mean between you and Jenny. You two adore each other, Skimble. And I don't want to see you apart because of some stupid thing I did, some position that I put you in when I never should've —" He stopped and drew a breath. "Please believe me when I say that ... that it's not for my sake, that I'm not doing it just to ease my conscience. It's for _your_ sake, Skimble. I want you to ... to be happy again."

There was silence in the den for a few brief moments, as the rain pattered on the ground outside and the thunder rumbled in the distance. Then — "I believe you, Mistoffelees," said Skimble, his voice still quieter. "But —" and here it was the Railway Cat's turn to hesitate, "— but I hope you know that I _do_ care for you. Quite a lot, as it happens; I won't hide the fact that I enjoyed our ... intervention. But the fact is that I care for Jenny more. I hope you are able to understand that. And ... I'm sorry if I ... if I led you on." Skimbleshanks shifted uncomfortably, but he eventually returned his gaze to the magician's.

Misto lowered his paw, but didn't take his eyes off Skimble's. "It's not easy, but I accept it," he said, his voice calm now. "And if what I'm planning is successful, then ... then you and Jenny will get back the happiness that you deserve."

* * *

"Now, Jelly dear, don't push! I honestly don't think I'm ready to see the outside world just yet, really —" 

"_You_," said Jellylorum, as she gave her friend a firm shove, "have been cooped up inside my den for two days. It stopped raining ages ago. And while I certainly appreciate the company, I do believe it is time for you to get some fresh air. I therefore order you to go to the Square in the center of the junkyard and not come back until teatime."

A bit bemused by her friend's request, even though Jelly's tone was friendly, Jennyanydots muttered uncertainly, "If you insist, but I honestly don't see —"

"I do insist," said Jellylorum, though not unpleasantly, as she stood in the doorway to her den, a paw on her hip. She gave Jenny a friendly smile, then waved. "See you for mousecakes?"

"Most certainly," Jenny said, grinning, and she was about to turn around and head out when Jelly added, "Oh, dear, and be sure it's the _Square_ you go to, and nowhere else, at least for the moment, if that's not too much trouble?"

Jenny looked at Jellylorum oddly, but said again, "If you insist..."

"Thank you, Jenny," said Jelly, seemingly relieved. "You do have to take these things one step at a time, you know?"

And she gave Jenny another cheerful smile, then promptly shut the door to her den.

Jennyanydots stared at the door, unsure for a moment, then shrugged and turned around, inhaling deeply. The rain had gone, but its smell remained, a light nip of fresh grass and dew. The sun was a brilliant red as it set, casting purple shadows across the sky — and, noted Jenny, across the rain clouds that were rolling in from the east. Apparently the rain hadn't left quite yet after all; was another bout of it coming soon?

However, the atmosphere was still peaceful — all was quiet save for some singing birds, which completed the aura of a typical summer's evening. Jenny considered hunting some of these birds, but reminded herself that Jelly had asked her to go to the Square, and odd though her friend's request seemed, she decided to do just that.

Her cheerful mood faded rather rapidly, however, when she approached the clearing and saw who was sitting in its center. Skimbleshanks' back was turned to the Gumbie Cat, and he seemed to be waiting for something — _Undoubtedly __**me**_ Jennyanydots realized, and her blood ran cold. She did not want to see the Railway Cat right now. She was not sure if she ever wanted to see him again. Perhaps she could back away without being noticed —

"Jenny!" Skimble said suddenly, as he whipped around to face her.

So much for that theory.

"Skimbleshanks," Jenny acknowledged, and her tone was colder than ice. She forced herself not to step backward as the Railway Cat approached her, and though she noted his eyes were full of caring, she still did not want to see him. And she certainly did not want to be in this close of a proximity to him.

"Jellylorum arranged this, didn't she?" Jennyanydots said, cutting Skimble off before he could speak. Skimble looked stunned, but could only manage a sheepish nod. "However," he added quickly, and Jenny's interest was caught in spite of herself, "...she didn't arrange it alone."

Jennyanydots considered for a moment, then laughed harshly. "Of course. Mistoffelees is in on it as well, isn't he? Are the two of you declaring your matehood to the tribe?"

Skimbleshanks recoiled as though Jenny had slapped him, and the Gumbie Cat felt guilty for a moment — then she tried to convince herself not to feel guilty, but satisfied. Trouble was, it didn't seem to be working...

"Jenny," Skimble said, and there was pleading in his voice. "Please ... just listen to me for a moment, won't you?"

"You want to talk?" said Jenny in a voice of forced calm, throwing her paws up in the air. "Fine, I'm here, talk away. Don't expect me to _hear_ you, though —"

"Jenny," Skimble whispered, and he slowly took her paws into his. Jenny seriously considered yanking them back, but decided against it for the time being. "Will you let me explain? Please?"

Jenny was silent for a minute, but then spoke softly. "All right. But make it quick," she added.

Skimble looked relieved. He hesitated, unsure of where to begin. "I'll try," he said at last; then — "Will you walk with me?" he asked Jennyanydots.

Jenny blinked. "If it will make this explanation go any more quickly, then fine," she amended, and fell into step next to Skimbleshanks. The Railway Cat still grasped one of her paws in his own, and though Jenny made note of it, she still felt no present reason to pull it away. "Well?" she said at last.

Skimbleshanks hesitated again, but when he spoke, his voice was quite steady. "I ... won't try to tell you that it wasn't what it looked like," he began quietly, and Jenny didn't need to ask him what he meant. "Nor will I tell you that I didn't ... respond ... to Mistoffelees. However, he sees what he's done, and he's ... well ... determined that he shouldn't make us suffer."

"It's a bit late for that," said Jennyanydots, and though her tone was light, the atmosphere between the Gumbie Cat and Skimble changed dramatically: where once there had been a tone of mutual, unspoken respect, there was now an uncomfortable, almost hostile, awkwardness. This was emphasized when the clouds above rolled in, blocking the setting sun — and the rain descended once more, drenching both cats, though neither took notice. "Misto does care a lot for you; that much is obvious," said Jenny, further contributing to the hostilities.

"And that's why he's trying to help us," said Skimble, and his voice was almost begging, imploring her to understand. "He doesn't want to replace you, he never did. He just wants us together again —"

"Look," Jenny interrupted, dropping her paw and turning to face Skimble, "can we get something straight here? There is no _us_. Not any more; that was destroyed back in the den. It's gone, Skimbleshanks, and you can't get it back. So stop trying. By the Everlasting Cat, even if there was some great sign from Heaviside above that was meant to change my mind, I seriously doubt that you and I will ever —"

Jennyanydots' rant was cut off when the rain abruptly stopped falling, ceasing more quickly than it had begun. This wasn't the normal gentle end to a rainfall; the drops had vanished on their way down to the ground and the clouds above disintegrated with amazing rapidity. The sunset once again gave off its glow, drenching Jenny and Skimble in a soothing orange light. The Railway Cat had looked shocked from Jenny's speech, but noticing the scene, now gave her a half-smile.

"You were saying?" he asked softly, the barest hint of humor in his voice.

To say Jennyanydots was unnerved would have been an understatement. "I — well, that was certainly — what was I saying? I was mad at you, right? That sounds right..."

"Jenny," Skimble said gently, his green eyes never leaving hers. Jenny couldn't help admiring them, even at a time like this. "All I've been trying to say," Skimble began, "is that ... I'm sorry. And Mistoffelees is too. He's sorry that he's ever put you in this predicament."

"Put _us_ in this predicament," Jenny corrected automatically, without thinking.

Skimble smiled again. "So now there's an 'us'?"

Jennyanydots suddenly realized what she had said. "Um, no — NO, there's not!" she shouted suddenly, angry once more. "You can act as seductive as you want, Skimble, but I'm not going to fall for it! I don't want to be with you if this is what it's like, the constant worrying about you running away with a cute little tom — I don't want to have to be concerned for _you!_ I — I don't want to be hurt again!" She blushed, aware that she had revealed a vulnerability that she hadn't wanted Skimble to see.

Silence descended upon the pair, deafening in its stillness, before Skimble at last spoke. "Jenny," he said again, as he kneeled, still holding her paw. He gazed up at her, voice steady as he asked, "When have I ever not been faithful to you?"

Jenny blinked. "Just the — recent — time..." she trailed off uncomfortably.

"And what would you say about that?" Skimbleshanks' voice was serious.

"_Well_," Jenny started awkwardly, shifting her paw a bit though still keeping it in Skimble's, "it seems that it was mostly — mostly him. The medicine, perhaps, was a factor —"

"Partly," said Skimble, "but Misto also agrees that it was his doing." At this he lowered his head in shame. "But as I said ... it wasn't entirely a one-sided affair. You were correct on that assumption." He looked back up at her, green eyes shining. "But the fact is that I believe you are the only one I can truly love."

Jenny's gaze was just as steady as she looked at Skimble. "And Mistoffelees understands that?" she asked.

"Mistoffelees, Bast bless him, is one of the most understanding cats in the world," said Skimbleshanks, rising and clasping Jenny's paw with both of his own. "I love you, Jennyanydots. And even if you don't love me any more, I'll still feel the same way. Always."

He put a paw behind his back, and when he brought it out again it was full of flowers, which, after a moments' hesitation, he held out to Jenny.

The Gumbie Cat looked at them in wonderment. "Where did you get those?" she said, raising a paw to take them. They were lilies. Her favorite kind. Their smell, and taste, were heaven to her...

"I had a little help," said Skimbleshanks, half-smiling again.

"Is this a date, Skimble?" Jenny said, looking around them, at the square, which was peacefully bathed in light from the sunset. "Like we were newlymates ..." she said fondly, then blinked as she realized that she was in the same place where Skimble had first asked her to dance with him at the Ball. Words failed her at this point, and she brought the flowers to her face, inhaling their deep scent, and nibbling on a few of their petals. At last she looked back at the Railway Cat, and smiled for the first time. "Skimbleshanks, how could I ever stop loving you?"

Skimble's nervous look slowly changed to one of shocked happiness. "You — you mean you accept?" he asked uncertainly.

"I do indeed accept your apology," Jenny said quietly, as she pulled Skimble down so that both of them were sitting on a tire on its side near the center of the square. The Gumbie Cat placed the flowers on the tire and turned to Skimble, both of his paws now in hers.

Her voice was sincere. "Before I came here tonight I wasn't sure if I ever wanted to see you again. However ..." she hesitated, "...now I am very glad I _did_ run into you."

"You're sure?" Skimble asked softly, wanting to know she had truly come back to him, that she truly had understood and realized his feelings.

"Positive," Jenny smiled.

And then she was kissing him, she was kissing him as she never had before, and Skimble, stunned for a moment, reacted on instinct and wrapped his arms around her. He kissed her back, and it was electrifying, enticing, everything he remembered and everything both of them had wanted. It was a wordless acceptance of past events, an affirmation of apologies and forgiveness, and — above all — a declaration of their devotion to each other.

Even after the kiss subsided they remained in each other's arms, never wanting to let go, wanting to stay in the embrace forever. The sun had set and the moon now rose into the night, halfway on its journey to becoming a Jellicle moon.

"Look," Jenny said, smiling, as she rested her head on Skimble's chest and looked skyward. "The stars are out."

At the precise moment she said this, a fiery streak shot across the sky, whistling slightly. And another. And another.

"The shooting stars are out too, it seems," said Skimbleshanks lightly, holding Jenny close.

Beside Jenny, unnoticed at present, the lilies she had discarded trembled slightly. They moved. They glowed with a soft blue hue. And as Jennyanydots and Skimbleshanks remained in their embrace, the lilies grew, shooting skyward before bending over the two cats, reaching back down to the ground, forming a beautiful archway above the two of them. Skimble smiled at Jenny's look of delighted incredulity; then she turned to him with a sudden understanding.

"Mistoffelees is behind this, isn't he?" she asked, as she gazed at the flowers above her, and the stars still shooting across the night sky.

"He is," Skimble confirmed gently. "He wanted to apologize to you as well, and ... he figured this was the best way for him to do it."

"Well, then, you can tell Mistoffelees that I accept his apology also. He's certainly done more than enough for us tonight." Jenny smiled and nuzzled the Railway Cat's handsome chest.

"I'll give him the message," Skimble smiled.

And then Jenny tilted her head up and their lips met in another passionate kiss; the Gumbie Cat ran a paw lightly down Skimble's chest fur and he shivered at the sensation. "I'm ready," he whispered, his lips brushing against hers.

Jennyanydots drew back slightly, a questioning look on her elegant features. "Ready?" she repeated, barely daring to hope.

Skimbleshanks shifted on the tire a bit before answering, and his whisper was heartfelt, sincere. "For kits."

Jenny blinked, then smiled, radiating joy. "I hope they have your eyes," she said softly, drawing Skimble close.

"I hope they have your capacity for forgiveness," Skimble smiled, returning the embrace. "Jenny ... thank you."

* * *

Alone at the edge of the square, Mistoffelees lowered his paws and felt the rest of his magic leaving him. The night sky above bathed Jenny and Skimble in the glow of one last shooting star, before returning to normalcy. The archway remained, however, framing the two lovers in the center of the square, where they remained with their arms around each other. 

Turning away now, Mistoffelees left the clearing. He had heard enough, and knew now that Skimble and Jenny needed privacy, a privacy which they deserved. And so the magician wandered, strolling aimlessly through the deserted Junkyard until at last he came back to Skimble's den. It wasn't intentional, really; he had come here without realizing it, and so he sat down and leaned his back against the wall of the den.

Briefly he considered raiding the supply of catnip and alcohol he knew was still inside. If it could help the pain he felt in his heart, then it would certainly be worth it. However, he reminded himself that he had now sworn off Jenny's medicine and saw no reason to break a vow he had only just made. And so Mistoffelees sighed and leaned back, resting his head against the wall, and contemplated the evening's events.

"You must really love him, you know."

Misto almost jumped. He hadn't heard footsteps, and couldn't see anyone in the surrounding darkness. However, the cat who had spoken came around the corner of the den and sat beside him, and Mistoffelees breathed easily again: It was Jellylorum.

"I beg your pardon?" he asked her, voice quiet.

"You must really love him," Jelly repeated, placing a friendly paw on Misto's shoulder, "to give him up like that."

Mistoffelees blinked, but nodded slowly. "It ... was the right thing to do," he said, averting his eyes from Jelly's.

"That doesn't mean it was the easiest thing to do," Jelly murmured, rubbing Misto's shoulder. "Still..." and here the queen smiled slightly, "I admire your technique. Flowers, shooting stars, archways ... what better way to create a romantic mood?"

Mistoffelees looked up at her, surprised to find a smile slowly creeping onto his features as well. "I was ... trying to give them the perfect summer's evening," he explained. "It was something they deserved."

"And I'd have to say that you succeeded," concluded Jelly, leaning back against the wall as well. "Jenny's definitely missing teatime."

Misto's ears flattened against his skull. "You're not upset, are you?" he asked Jelly softly.

The queen looked at him, surprised. "About Jenny? Of course not. When you asked me to help you, I knew she'd come back only ... only if you weren't successful." She paused, apparently deciding whether to continue, before saying slowly, "But ... but I was slightly angry with you when ... I first heard. About you and Skimble. It was on Jenny's behalf, mostly. However, I'd say ... that you've more than redeemed yourself."

Misto raised his ears once more. "That means a lot to me, Jellylorum," he murmured. "Thank you."

Jelly blinked, then faced Mistoffelees with a serious look. "Do you regret it, Misto?"

This time it was Mistoffelees' turn to look surprised. "The kiss?" he asked. Seeing Jelly nod, he considered his answer ... and was shocked to find that the ache in his chest seemed to be lifting slightly. He turned back to Jelly, paused, but then said, "No."

Jelly leaned in to listen as Mistoffelees explained. "It's helped me to move on. I've confronted my demons, as it were. But I truly am sorry for what it did to Skimble — for the position it put him in. I never wanted that for him..."

Misto took a deep breath before finishing. "I think I'll always love him, Jelly. And I want to help him, not to make him suffer. And that's why he and Jenny deserved to get back together."

The magician lowered his head, feeling uncomfortable under Jelly's soul-piercing gaze. "I owed him that — and ... so much more."

The junkyard was quiet for a moment, the only sound being crickets chirping and the odd Pollicle bark in the distance. Finally Jelly spoke. "Oh, Mistoffelees," she said softly, cupping a paw under the magician's chin. Reluctantly, Misto looked up. "Letting him go was the greatest affirmation of your love that you could have ever given him. It was a noble deed, the best you could have done. And it's something that helped both of you."

Mistoffelees nodded. "It's enough for me that Skimble's happy," he murmured. "I'm ready to move on, now, even though I don't know if I'll ever be in a relationship again. But ... but at least I can stop dwelling on imaginary ones with Skimble." Here he faced Jellylorum again and grinned halfheartedly. "I may have a broken heart, but I don't have to take medicine for it."

"Sworn off Jenny's catnip, have you?" Jelly asked, grinning also.

"For life," Misto said, laughing — the first time he'd laughed in days. "Although I will miss the friends I made. Those imaginary bunnies were quite cute."

"I've been there," Jellylorum chuckled, but her expression soon grew serious again. "Mistoffelees, I have one last question to ask you, and I want you to answer honestly." She paused. "Are you truly sure you're ready to move on?"

"I'm happy that Skimble's happy, Jelly," Mistoffelees replied simply. "I'm ready."

Jellylorum smiled again. "Well, then ... did I mention that Coricopat might be available?"

* * *

_A/N: Well, as you can probably tell, I never intended to take this thing as seriously as I did. Thanks again for reading, and even though I may not have time to respond to every review, I appreciate all of them! I'll give you a cookie ... ((holds out plate invitingly)) Hope you enjoyed it!_


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